Dear Colleagues, We are extremely pleased to announce a huge step forward in better protecting farmed fish in Scotland.  After two years of legal work by The Animal Law Foundation, the Scottish Government has finally committed to introducing official guidance on the welfare of farmed fish! This is a long-overdue measure that will impact the lives of millions of fish and strengthen legal protections in one of Scotland’s largest farming sectors. Scotland is the world’s third largest salmon producer, farming around 37.7 million salmon each year across 200 farms. These animals are raised in intensive systems where overcrowding, barren environments, and disease are persistent concerns. While the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 requires that animals’ needs are met and that they are spared unnecessary suffering, enforcement on fish farms has been non-existent. Not a single prosecution has ever been brought for welfare breaches on Scottish fish farms, and no official care notices under the Act have ever been issued. The Animal Law Foundation has long argued that the absence of official government guidance has been a key barrier to protecting fish, leaving farmers without clear instructions on how to comply with the law and regulators without the tools to enforce it. Until now, the industry has relied solely on its own guidance, which does not address legal compliance. The new official guidance will, for the first time, set out clearly what the law requires and how farmers must meet those standards.  This is a huge step in giving practical effect to the legal protections that exist and protecting millions of fish more effectively.  We welcome the Scottish government’s announcement as a major victory for animal welfare and look forward to supporting the development of guidance that ensures fish receive the protections they are legally entitled to. We are thankful to the Members of Scottish Parliament, including Emma Roddick,  who supported our call, th

After months of public pressure, Best Western has finally shared meaningful progress toward its global cage-free commitment — and because of this, we’re cautiously celebrating and pausing our public campaign. Best Western’s most recent statement has shown significant progress: * Regional progress has jumped significantly (Asia & LATAM now 70%). * They’ve shared a global figure (nearly 70%) for the first time. * They’ve committed to a pilot credit purchase in Q1 2026. These are encouraging steps forward, and they show the impact of collective pressure from supporters around the world.  However, this doesn’t mean they’re in the clear. We’ll continue monitoring Best Western’s progress closely and continue outreach behind the scenes to ensure they follow through on their promises — and prepare to resume public escalation if necessary. For now, we celebrate this milestone — as another sign that together, we’re getting hens out of cages.  

Hi all. We did a survey among 510 activists in Spain, between April and June. We looked at demographics, needs and blockers, etc. There might be some findings you find interesting or even useful. Here are the full report and infographic. Feel free to reach out if you have questions or comments: tim@imae.es. PS: We're slowly working on addressing some of these findings, e.g. a webinar on burnout, in-person events, some education on strategy, etc.